Camera Envy

I want a DLSR camera. This one.

I don't need one, I just want one. And for now, that's not a good enough reason. As with any talent, having the best equipment doesn't automatically make you better.

I have $60 tap shoes. I've looked at the custom-made $250+ ones, but what would they do for me? They're certainly not going to tap themselves, so until MY technique improves, I'll stick with the perfectly fine $60 ones.



I see gorgeous photography taken with DLSRs and I think, "Oh, man. If only I had one of those, I could take pictures like that."

Weeellll, not necessarily. Good photography involves a whole lot more than what camera you use. Composition, lighting, controlling depth of field and mastering the basic camera settings are the only ways to get really great images. And you don't need a fancy camera to do that. Sure, you don't have the same kinds of controls with a point and shoot as you do with a DSLR, but the one I have is sophisticated enough to get me by. I just need to take the time to practice those things I listed before.

I've been through flickr admiring so many good images, and have been stunned on more than one occasion to learn that they used a P&S to get the capture. Just goes to show that you can stick a $3000 camera in someone's hands and still get crappy pictures, but put a $300 one in a skilled photographer's hands and you can get gorgeous images.

I can still want one, which I do (the new Nikon D90s just came out so I'm hoping the D80s will go down in price) but I need to pound into my brain that when/if I do get one, I won't magically become a great photographer. Just like the $250 tap shoes won't make me a great dancer. Only practice will do that.



Guess I should go practice both - just not at the same time.